Beatles News
Unbelievably, George Harrison struggled to write songs sometimes. More often than not, it was a painstaking process, prying his jumbled thoughts from his head. The only thing that seemed to be able to extract them was a deadline.
George Harrison at Apple Headquarters in 1969.
With some of the best rock ‘n’ roll songs in his catalog, including “Something,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “All Things Must Pass,” it’s hard to imagine George Harrison struggling to write songs. However, it happened often.
In his former sister-in-law, Jenny Boyd’s 1988 book, It’s Not Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters), George spoke about his creative process.
He explained, “I find that, having just finished writing and recording an album, I tend to now work in spurts. At one point I think, ‘How do you write a tune?’ I have just totally forgotten. But unlike some people who think they’ve dried up, I don’t believe we dry up.
Source: cheatsheet.com
The Beatles: Get Back director Peter Jackson says he is trying to convince the film's distribution partners, Disney and Apple, to release an extended cut of his revelatory 2021 documentary series.
As the original three-episode series spans over seven hours in run time, Jackson explained on a recent podcast appearance that both partner companies are understandably wary about releasing an even longer version.
"They say — and they might be quite right — that there's no market anymore for extended cuts. But I know that there's five or six hours of fantastic material that we didn't include, and I don't want it to go back into the vaults for 50 years," Jackson told Kim Masters. "So, let's just that it's a conversation that's happening, but it's not necessarily a definitive one at this point."
Source: iheart.com
The Beatles regularly found ways to hide interesting sounds, instruments, and phrases in some of their most iconic songs. However, there were many circumstances when fans didn’t realize the depths of surprises within these tunes. This included a classic French nursery rhyme hidden within the song “Paperback Writer” with backing vocals by John Lennon and George Harrison and lead vocals by Paul McCartney.
Lennon, Harrison, McCartney, and Ringo Starr pushed themselves as musicians and songwriters, setting trends followed today and evolving into musicians stretching the boundaries of popular music,
With the help of producer George Martin, Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr used their vast knowledge of music styles to push industry confines.
Some of the Beatles’ greatest innovations did not happen on the stage but in the studio. Ideas and techniques that became commonplace in the recording industry were either invented or advanced by the Fab Four during that progressive time period.
Source: cheatsheet.com
FORMER Beatle George Harrison said he has always been a fan of reggae music.
He also confessed that he has tried his hand at writing a reggae song.
"Well, I've tried a couple of times – I must say, not too serious – but I've tried to make a tune into like a reggae feel [with the song] Crackerbox Palace. But, like I say, it's harder than it appears, you know?," Harrison was quoted in Showbiz CheatSheet as saying.
"And the one thing I like about it is the drum sound they always get, like the high [vocalises timbale-like fill] ta-tang-tang! The toms-toms… fantastic."
Crackerbox Palace is the ninth track on George Harrison's 1976 album, Thirty Three & 1/3. The song was released as the second single from the album and reached number 19 on the American pop charts.
Source: Brian Bonitto/jamaicaobserver.com
George Harrison had a successful solo career but didn’t see it as a career. To him, he just did what he loved, which was making music. He couldn’t call it a job.
Once he was free of the constraints of being a Beatle, George did what he wanted. If he wanted to make music, he did. However, he never actively pursued a solo career. George went on tour and released albums here and there, but only as it pleased him. Nothing tied him down.
It might’ve looked like George had a successful solo career, but he only saw it as doing something he loved. It wasn’t a profession.
“You invented your own job with a freshness and a heartfelt originality that made it so much more rich than a mere career,” White said.
George replied, “See, I never really did much [as] far as a career. There’s a lot of people out there who really plan what they’re doing. They got their publicists and their managers and they plan their tours like a Desert Storm campaign. But mostly it’s just me…. It’s all just been haphazard.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
It’s been more than 58 years since the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and Beatlemania hit American shores. At the time, critics believed the Lads from Liverpool — John, Paul, George and Ringo — would be a flash in the pan. But we’re still talking about them and their music.
Here’s a curious fact: The Beatles toured the United States from 1964 to 1966 but only appeared once in Minnesota — Aug. 21, 1965 — and their management swore they’d never come back.
Lori Lundstrom’s father David Lundstrom owned a Minneapolis ambulance company and provided limos to the Beatles during their stay. Lundstrom joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about her father’s connection to the legendary performers.
Source: Cathy Wurzer and Britt Aamodt/mprnews.org
Paul McCartney wrote of one of The Beatles’ songs while he was in the woods with Linda McCartney. Paul said the song was “poetic” and “lyrical.” The track appeared on The Beatles’ Let It Be.
Paul McCartney intentionally got lost with Linda McCartney. During the excursion, he wrote one of the songs from The Beatles’ songs from Let It Be. Paul said the song was “lyrical” and “poetic.”
During a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, Paul discussed going on a road trip with Linda. “I’ve got a very vivid memory of driving out of London in my Aston Martin with Linda, just the two of us,” he recalled. “She was always keen on getting lost. Whereas most of us guys driving, particularly driving a loved one, a new girlfriend in my case, you’re nervous about getting lost.”
Paul contrasted London with New York City. “Oh God, in London you can really get lost,” he opined. “It’s not like New York where there’s a grid. This is London. You can be in Streatham or it might be Haringey, there’s no telling. But she would always just say, ‘Yeah, so let’s get lost,’ and we went out just like, ‘Right.'”
Source: cheatsheet.com
Paul McCartney revealed one of The Beatles’ songs was inspired by tarot cards. In addition, he said the track in question had a message meant for his generation. The song appeared on the soundtrack for one of The Beatles’ movies.
In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul discussed the artist Marijke Koger. “I used to know Marijke, she was a quite striking-looking girl,” he recalled. “She used to read my fortune in Tarot cards, which was something I wasn’t too keen on because I didn’t want to draw the death card one day. I still don’t like that kind of stuff because I know my mind will dwell on it.”
Paul kept drawing the same card. “I always steered a bit clear of all that s***, but in fact it always used to come out as the Fool,” he remembered. “And I used to say, ‘Oh, dear!’ and she used to say, ‘No no no. The Fool’s a very good card. On the surface it looks stupid, the Fool, but in fact it’s one of the best cards, because it’s the innocent, it’s the child, it’s that reading of fool.'”
Source: cheatsheet.com
Fans dreamed of a Beatles reunion long after they broke up in 1970. They came close to getting one a few times over the years. The Fab Four almost attended Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd‘s wedding in 1979. However, one couldn’t make it.
During the April 24, 1976 show of NBC’s Saturday Night (Later Saturday Night Live), producer Lorne Michaels cut in to speak directly to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. He offered The Beatles $3,000 to play three songs on SNL.
“Lately there have been a lot of rumors to the effect that the four of you might be getting back together,” Lorne said. “That would be great. In my book, the Beatles are the best thing that ever happened to music. It goes even deeper than that – you’re not just a musical group, you’re a part of us. We grew up with you.”
He then made his offer. “It’s for this reason that I am inviting you to come on our show. Now, we’ve heard and read a lot about personality and legal conflicts that might prevent you guys from reuniting. That’s something which is none of my business.
Source: cheatsheet.com
There was one drummer besides Ringo Starr that George Harrison often depended on; Jim Keltner. Ringo and Keltner helped George make his 1987 album, Cloud Nine, sound authentic.During their time in The Beatles, George and Ringo worked well together. Ringo was the first drummer George connected with. They collaborated on each other’s songs. That didn’t change once The Beatles split.
George supplied guitar and songwriting help on many of Ringo’s albums. Meanwhile, Ringo added drums to several of George’s records. During a 1988 interview with Ray Martin (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters), George explained that he didn’t need to tell Ringo how to play his songs; he just understood and got to work. George knew what he was getting, asking Ringo to drum on a song.
“With Ringo, there’s certain songs with Ringo that, you know, I don’t have to tell him what to play, I just play him the song, and he just picks up his sticks, and he just does it, you know,” George said.
Source: cheatsheet.com
